Happy Birthday and bits of pieces....

Today is my husband's birthday! Happy Birthday~ honey! We had a great day so far...we got up and went to church. It was Youth Sunday~ and that is when the Youth Group leads in worship, song, and prayer. Our Youth Pastor gave the sermon. I missed most of the sermon, because Cole needed a diaper change and to be fed. This usually happens during the church service when my babies are little. Cole is getting so big! He had an appointment last Thursday for his 2 month check up. He is now 11 pounds 14 ounces! It is hard to believe that he is almost 10 weeks old already! Don't worry, I am not looking to have another anytime soon...the labor/birth/recovery is so fresh in my mind, and it isn't a pleasant thought. At least I have a beautiful baby, and he is healthy! He still has a bump on the top of his head. It is hard, and that is a bit worrisome. I asked the Dr. about it, and she said it was odd to her that it was still there after 2 months. She said sometimes when they give shots, and they hit a vein, kids can get a harder lump from calcium build-up (from the blood). So, she thinks that may be what it is. Too hard to tell. She said we could maybe go to a Skull Dr., but with Cole being so little, there really isn't too much the Dr. could do. So, we wait. Madelyn had her 2 year check up the same day as Cole's 2 month. She is finally on the charts with her weight! She is now 23 pounds (still a little peanut), but she is growing well. She will just always be petite, I think. She a busy little girl, and learning more everyday! I can't believe my little baby girl is a toddler. Of coarse, she loves to say, "NO!" and she is learning Independence with getting dressed/undressed. She loves to give kisses and hugs, and is our cuddler.
For the last two nights, we have had friends over for game night. We love having friends over and entertaining. On Friday night, we had over our friends Lisa and Donnie. Our other friend, Jody and her husband were suppose to come over, but they had forgotten. We had fun playing our new Yatzee game. Good laughs, and fun. Then, on Saturday evening, we had over Jodi and Ben. We have really enjoyed playing this game called Ticket to Ride. I was hoping to review the game on my site, but no luck. It is a really fun game, and my husband especially loves it because it is trains.
I am sorry I haven't been writing too many personal blogs lately. I have been so busy with 4 kids. It really makes a difference from 3 to 4.....especially since they are all under the age of 4~ Caleb will be 4 end of May. I do want to get better with writing about our kids, what they do, and our family times. I will try to get more pictures uploaded too.
Tonight I am going to go pick up Nathaniel from his weekend with his Dad. I hope he had a good weekend with his Dad. We have been going through some things with Nathaniel and we are seeking guidance. I pray that we can help him get through his heart issues. He is 10 years old, and in such a crucial moment in his life. The other night we sat down with him and let him say anything he wanted to us. He could share his feelings, anger, fear~ whatever he wanted. If he was mad at us, or whatever. He had to stay respectful through it. It was amazing what our results were. I will have to go into more details about that another post. I hope you all had a good weekend. More later.

Bobbing for bubbles?

I babysat on Wednesday, and it was a great day! The kids all played very well together. Nathaniel was home from school this week, so it was super having the extra time with him. He got to come with me on Monday and Wednesday for babysitting. Tuesday, he was able to spend the day with his friend. Anyway, on Wednesday, I was blowing bubbles for the kids. Well, with my kids...bubbles are a tasty treat. Yep, Nathaniel loves to bite the bubbles~ so to speak. He pretends (and sometimes) eats the floating bubbles. Well, with Claudia giggling uncontrollably over his moves and actions, Caleb joined in the biting for bubble action! Claudia and Madelyn thought the boys were really funny! After the biting of bubbles came the bubble blasting. Nathaniel pretended like the bubbles were attacking him. Claudia's uproar of laughter became even higher in decibels! There is absolutely nothing like the laughter of children, being created from other children making them laugh! It was so comical! I could barely blow the bubbles because I was laughing so hard. Trust me, it was great entertainment!

The whole day went very well~ except Caleb would NOT take a nap. I am not sure what was up with him that day, but a nap was not in his agenda. So, about a half an hour before we were to head home, I gave him the option to sit on the couch and read for a quiet time. Before we left, I said to him, "Without getting a nap today, you better not be crabby." His response to that was, "I'm not crabby Mom. See, my smile isn't upside down."

Kids think of things in such a creative way~ what a great perspective!

Girlfriend Time

I am so excited for tomorrow evening! I get to spend the evening with one of my bestest friends, Jennifer! I am really looking forward to just being together! Her hubby is away for the weekend, and she asked if I would like to come spend the night with her. Ummm...no, NOT! Yes, of coarse I would love to come hang out! Tomorrow I will be babysitting during the day, then, we will be bringing Nathaniel to his Dad's. Terry will be helping set up a model train show, and then he is dropping me off at Jen's house. YUP~ NO kids for me to take care of! For the night, anyway. My dear, and wonderful Mother-in-law is coming for the weekend (sometime tomorrow late afternoon). She is going to watch them on Saturday while Terry works the train show from 9-3. Then, Terry will help tear down the displays and come pick me up. So, we are talking all day girlfriend time on Saturday! Woo Hoo! I wonder what we will do!? Maybe I should bring our Wii with? LOL~ OH, And today is a special day, because it is Jennifer's birthday~ So, Happy Happy Birthday Lady! *hugs to you*
So, I may be MIA for a bit, but you know I will return.

Another kid-napping for celebrations

L-R: Lisa, baby K., me, Pauline, Jeannie, and Jody

Tonight, we kid-napped Lisa for her birthday celebration! She is a whooping 37 years old. She thinks she is old, but she is not. We met at the restaurant, and rode to her house to pick her and her mom, Pauline up. Unfortunately, Lisa's hubby spilled the beans that we were coming to get her, so she was all dolled up and ready for us. Oh, well. It was a great night! Her actual birthday was yesterday. Happy Birthday, Lisa! We went out to eat at a local restaurant. We ended up staying there until 9:40, and they close at 9:00. They were very respectful and didn't say anything about us overstaying. We had such great laughter. We couldn't help but bring up the memories of last year's visit there when we celebrated Jeannie's birthday. We laughed about the front door's noise, and the specail S.A. group that met there last year. What great memories, and it is great making more memories.
Our friend, Jody, just had her baby 6 days ago. It was great cuddling her. She is such a little peanut. It is still hard to remember Maddie being little like that a year and a half ago.
Isn't she cute? I love when babies make all their cute little faces, and when they are all scrunched up in a ball. Your baby is beautiful, Jody! Now, you have your little princess~

Celebrating in "kidnap" style

My dear friends, Lisa, Pauline, Jody and Jeannie kidnapped me last Wednesday night to celebrate my birthday. I had such a great time! I had no idea where we were going. The tradition has been to go out for dinner, but they changed the norm this time. We went to see Mama Mia! I laughed so hard in that movie! I loved it so much! I think it was a superb chick flick, and I was happy to be sitting with my dear friends. You have got to see this movie! I think my favorite parts are when all the women are singing, and all the men are singing. Trust me, you just have to see it. I will not give it away! I think this is a movie I want to own in my collection. Here is a couple of pictures from the evening...

Left to Right: Lisa, me, Jody, Jeannie and Pauline.

After the movie, we went to one of our favorite restaurants, Applebee's, and had some treats. I didn't have supper, so I was feeling the need for food. We did have the yummy popcorn at the theater, so I wasn't starving. Looking at our table after we ordered, though, you would think we were all starving!


We ordered the sampler (which is huge), the chicken quesadillas, spinach artichoke dip with chips, onion rings, and loaded nachos. CRAZY~ we didn't eat all that food, though. It was very good and tasty. Then I got to end the celebration with a strawberry sundae with a serenade from the wait staff.

Thank you ladies for a very memorable birthday celebration! I look forward to "kidnapping" the next victim! :)

Birthday fun

I had a great Birthday on Tuesday. My dear friends, Naomi and Nicole came to spend the day with me. Nicole has two little girls, O. and A., and they are adorable. We had such a nice visit. They brough lunch with them, too...so that was a special treat. Nicole made a very delicious hotdish with meat, lo mein noodles, and waterchestnuts. Naomi brought the dessert, a cookie bottom pie of pudding...yum!
We enjoyed being outdoors, and even having some down time. It was great to connect and talk about any and everything.
That evening, Terry came home with flowers, and we went to the Mexican Restaurant. It was very good. I ordered the Cancun, which is a seafood enchalada with a cream sauce. I am not a fan of refried beans and spanish rice, so I substituted for french fries. I ordered a non-alcoholic Mixed Berry margarita, too.

L-R: Randi, me, Naomi, (A.) and Nicole.
The guys with the kids, L-R: Nicole's daughter O., hubby Pat, daughter A.

Caleb, Terry, and Madelyn.
Me, Nicole and Naomi.
Naomi and Caleb
me and Randi
Nicole and daughter A.
The "kid-free" couple, Troy and Naomi.

It was a lot of fun, and great for laughs and conversations. I really like that this is a yearly tradition. Thank you friends for a great day, and good times!

Older yet

Ok, I am officially a day older. Yippee, horrah.

I really think I feel older because I am pregnant with my fourth baby. Kids can make you feel and act younger or they can cause you to feel old and tired. Just depends on the day, ...or time of day for that matter.

Today, my dear friends (from High School)...long time ago....are coming to spend the day with me. Then, tonight we are heading to one of our favorite restaurants for our (traditional) birthday celebrations. I am really looking forward to spending good, quality time with my friends! I treasure my friendships, and I am so glad we are getting another chance to get together! I can't wait to see you ladies!

bummer...I won't be getting to enjoy a Margarita tonight, but maybe next year...
oh well, got a baby blessing going on.

I may not blog much today, but no worries...I will be back.

Good Times!

I had a great weekend! Friday night, as I mentioned, we went out for dinner with my dear friend, Jennifer, her hubby and their son. Then, Saturday, Jennifer and Brody came over about lunch time. The day went so fast! Poor Brody was having a tough day. He was overly tired coming to our house, and Jennifer had to hear him scream the whole time she drove to my house. I feel bad for her and him. Then, about 5-10 minutes from my house (wouldn't you know it) he fell asleep. She tried to lay him down when they got here, but that didn't work out so well. So, Brody and Maddie played for about 45 minutes and then we went to McDonald's. Brody screamed his little heart out was upset the whole way there. He was fine once he had food in front of him. I was so impressed with this older gentleman at McDonald's. He saw me walking with the tray and holding Madelyn. He was in front of me before I could place the tray on the table. He had a high chair for me ready, with the tray off! Talk about being a gentleman! I was so touched! He asked me if I wanted the tray. I said no, and he said he would put it away for me! Wasn't that nice? I wish more people like this man were out in our world. Somewhere people have lost touch with the good 'ol chivalry! After McDee's we went to the grocery store. I needed a few items, and Jennifer wanted hair color. She asked me to cut and highlight her hair, and I was happy to do this for her. I figure I need all the experience I can get.
Then, we went back to my house. I forgot to mention that Nathaniel was with us, and Brody was not impressed by him, for some reason. I know Brody was tired, but I felt bad for Nathaniel, because every time he was around Brody, he screamed and cried. So, we had the tunes of Brody's wails on the way home, too. He was fortunate to get about a 30 minute nap, while I was preparing Jennifer's hair. I just got in the first foil, and he woke up. We put him in the pack in play, with his bottle of milk. He threw up, and then, we gave him some Tylenol. Jennifer said his teeth were really bothering him. Needless to say, we did get her hair highlighted and cut between our kiddos having some issues. I think it turned out really cute. I cut it a little shorter than Jennifer and I would have liked, but all in all...I like it a lot. I hope she will continue to like it. Thanks for the great day, and the experience, Jennifer!
Today, we decided to play hookie from church and clean some things in our home. I cleaned both bathrooms (thoroughly), and Terry fixed a few items on the "honey-do list," while doing the laundry. I know I don't like to skip church, but I really felt like we needed to do this. Plus, it was a really nice day, finally, and I knew Terry wanted to get the pontoon and the dock in. He was at the train show on Saturday with Caleb and his mom. He was gone most all day on Saturday, so he didn't really get anytime at home. At noon, I left to go see Jennifer! (Day 3 with her!) We went to a play at the Ordway in St. Paul. It was a good play, and fun. I would say it was a bit risky, but there were some chuckles from Jennifer, her sister Roxanne, and I. We got free tickets from Jen's sister, Tami. Thanks Tami! It was a good time, with LOADS of laughs! I was even in tears from laughing so hard. Thanks for a great day, Jennifer!
Tonight, we ate supper, and got the kid's baths done. Then, we went out for a family pontoon ride. It was a bit chilly, but it was great to be on the lake again!

I am feeling a bit spoiled!

I was so excited when Terry said, "Can you see if you can get a sitter for tonight?" He wanted to go to a dinner and a movie. We got a sitter lined up, but she couldn't stay real late, so my friend Jennifer, her husband, and their sweet boy met us in the cities for dinner. We went to one of my favorite restaurants~ Granite City Brewery. I love that restaurant. Their food is so tasty! Jennifer and I decided to each order something different, and we split our meals with each other. That way we each had two (smaller) meals. I know what I ate wasn't in my plan with Weight Watchers, but boy, did it taste good! Her little guy, Brody, is so cute! He is almost one year old. He was a happy little trooper most of the time we were there. He LOVED the pickle he was chewing on...until it fell on the floor. Fortunately, Terry had another pickle. He was happy. I had a near-perfect steak. waffle fries (YUM) with their special sauce. Jennifer ordered the shrimp Alfredo with veggies. All of it was great!
I also get to see Jennifer and Brody tomorrow! They are going to come spend the day with me, Madelyn and Nathaniel tomorrow. Terry and Caleb are going to a train show. I think her and I are going to lounge in our jammies (I am for sure) and just enjoy being together. I think we may even try our hand at some Mario Kart...for memory sake. Or, we just may have to play some Wii!
If her sister mailed off the tickets, I will see Jennifer on Sunday, too! I know~ that is super! 3 days in a row! Trust me, we can handle it! We are possibly going to a play. I won't say what yet, until after the fact for security reasons. I hope it all works out! Either way, I am so thankful for tonight and tomorrow!

For Women Only!

There is a great Blog party coming up! I am so excited, because it is a great way to meet other people out there with blogs! Also, there are some really fun prizes to be won! I have a button (neon pink) on my side bar. Go click on it, and see what it is all about! It is the Ultimate Blog Party! The fun is for one whole week: March 7-14!! See you in the loop~

A few days off duty....

Well, not entirely. I am still a mom, still a "home maker", and still a wife. I still have my daily responsibilities, but I am off work the rest of the week. Claudia, her Mom and Grandma are on a business trip for the rest of the week. I hope they have a nice time, and get some good memories (amidst the work). Claudia is getting her upper teeth, both of them, so she is feeling some bad pains right now. I feel so bad for her. It is so hard when they are little, and they don't understand. I will greatly miss her this week. She is such a little darling.

What am I going to do with 4 days at home? Well, I would like to think that some organizing can get done. I know I have some blogging to catch up on (but that isn't so easy with the kids around). Hence, I lose much sleep at night. I am really getting the urge to decorate and make Caleb/Maddie's room more fun. I am tired of looking at plain white walls. I am sure Caleb would appreciate something on his walls, too. I need to be frugal, and crafty. So, what do I do? What is affordable, and eye catching? I love what Candace did with Claudia's room, and it is easy looking, too...I should think about something along those lines. This week I also need to make some cards. That I can do with the kids playing with their toys. Our basement is set up nice for free play. Sometimes kids need to play alone.

I do have one, no 3, appointments on Wednesday. 3 of my friends are entrusting me with their locks. Yes, I am going to be cutting, coloring, and putting a style to their hair. I am excited and nervous at the same time. I have cut the hair of 2 of my friend's hair already once before, so that I am OK with. I am glad that they trust me to "experiment" on them. I make sure they know that they are free to go to the Salon afterward (and they may have to). It won't hurt my feelings if they need to do that. I have only cut my boy's hair (Terry, Nathaniel and Caleb), Terry's sister, Lisa, and Jeannie. I have always had the desire to work with hair since I was a teen. Someday, as my goal, I will attend beauty school. I am just waiting until I am done having kids, and they are old enough.

I WON a Wii!

I have been waiting to post this announcement until I got it in the mail, but I cannot contain my excitement any longer! I won the Wii from Contest Beat's contest sponsored by Cellforcash! Thank you Matt for hosting the contest, and picking me!! My family loves to play games together, and this one promotes using your body to play...good excercise for after the holidays! I just want to say Thanks again! I look for the mailman everyday....PaTiEnTlY waiting....tap, tap, tap...drum, drum, drum...is it here yet???

Christmas Cheer~ and funny times!

We had a fun last couple of days. Terry's Mom came down on Sunday afternoon. It was a very snowy day, and I was a little concerned about the roads. I know the visibility was decreasing, too. She did make it, and she was safe. Monday morning, Caleb, Grandma, Maddie and I were up. We were in the main floor playing on the floor and Lena (our dog) was playing, too. Well, since Terry was still in bed, I thought it was time for him to get up. So, I said, "Lena, go get Dad!" I was kidding with her, and I didn't really think she would do it, or understand. But, she bolted upstairs. Later, when Terry came downstairs, he asked me if I knew what Lena did. I said no. Then he said that she jumped up on our bed (which she never does, nor is allowed to) and walked across Terry's chest. Then, she stood on his nightstand! Can you believe it? What a smart dog! She is so funny! She knew I said to get Dad, and darn-tootin' she was on a mission! Oh, it was so funny. Well, the funnies didn't stop there. At Lunch, Caleb said the funniest thing to his grandma (just out of the blue). Let me re-cap:

Caleb: "Grandma?"
Grandma: "Yes, Caleb?"
Caleb: "You look like Chewbacca!"

It was so funny, and we have no idea where he got it from, or why he said it! Boy did it give us the giggles!
Terry and I got to go shopping (BY OURSELVES) and finish up the last few gifts. Terry's Dad sent us some Christmas money to buy some things for the kids. It was fun picking out some things. We had dinner at Denny's and the food was super. It was so good to eat REAL Ranch dressing with my salad. It has been so long since I had real ranch. (I started Weight Watchers in September). Then, we were off to get Nathaniel back from his visit with his Dad.
When we picked up Nathaniel that night we told him what Caleb said. His response was, "Well, that wasn't very nice. Not nice at all. At least he didn't say Yoda. Great Grandma looks like Yoda with all her wrinkles!"

Oh my goodness~ Kids are so super funny!!

After we got home from picking up Nathaniel, we had the kids go downstairs so Terry could get the Train in the house. Then, we played with the kids awhile before bedtime. Terry wanted me to play some Christmas music on the piano. It was fun, but it reminded me that I really need to brush up on my practicing. After the kids were in bed we wrapped all the gifts and put them under the tree. I filled the stockings. We don't "do" Santa, the gifts in there are from us, but I think the stocking filling is fun. Terry put the train around the tree, and it looked great. Finally, at almost 1 AM, I made it to bed.

Christmas morning was fun and special. Caleb, Maddie and Nathaniel loved to see the train. Maddie kept wanting to touch it. We had the kids open their gifts, and all was appreciated. Caleb only wanted a Rocket Fishing Pole for Christmas, so when he opened that gift, he pulled it out and said, "A shooting fishing pole~ I GOT IT!" I really wish I had that on camera. Where is that camcorder when you need it. It was so funny!

After gifts we had breakfast, then we headed over to my brother and sister-n-law's house for my side of the family. It was great to see everyone again. Our family doesn't get together enough. My sister and family was here from IL, and I haven't seen them since Easter, and that time was a brief visit. My other sister (who is a single mom of 4) didn't come. I was really upset about that, and I will post that in another post later. All in all, it was a great day. I will try to get a picture of all 18 Grandchildren up maybe tomorrow.

Well, I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!

A glimpse into the future:

I will be hosting a few upcoming giveaways, contests, and reviews. Some of the up coming contests are for BOON, KABOOST and Little Laureate DVD/cd gift packs...stay tuned for the details! I will be doing a few book reviews. One of the reviews of the books sounds amazing, and it is one that I will be reading with Nathaniel. I am so thankful and grateful to the companies that supply these great products! I love to do reviews and the contests are super fun! Thank you so much! Don't forget to sign up for the current contests : Tu Tu Cute and Twisted Silver! Hurry the deadline to enter is 11:59 P.M. tonight!

"Twisted Silver" Contest

Twisted Silver is a fine, and funky, jewelry store ran by stay-home moms! They make necklaces, rings, belts, earrings, and bracelets! This is what they say, "Twisted Silver is the imaginative trailblazer of the "convertible jewelry" movement. Belts become necklaces...become chokers... become multi-wrap bracelets! Rare is it to find a piece of jewelry always outside of the box, yet instantaneously fashionable and recognizable.
Because Twisted Silver lets you define how to wear the jewelry, your imagination is your only limitation. Give free reign to your individuality. One piece of jewelry.....SO many options! It's great to be a girl!"
Aren't these earrings pretty? They are so stylish! These are the "Flower" earrings. Here is the stats: Element: Copper, Weight: Light (.1 oz), Drop Length: 3" ,Design: 1 1/2" x 3"
Debra Mitchell is the founder and designer of this funky jewelry, and she does a great job! Want to win these amazing earrings? Go to Twisted Silver and pick out the piece of jewelry that dazzles you the most, then come back here and comment on your favorite piece (Please leave your e-mail address so I can contact you). If you would like a second entry to the contest, blog about this contest and link back to me. (I greatly appreciate Linky Love). Then, just leave another comment with your url addy. I will use a random generator to pick the winner. Contest is open to United States residents, bloggers and non-bloggers are welcome. Only those who follow the rules with be qualified. Contest ends December 18th at 11:59 P.M. I will announce the winner December 19 before noon (Central Time). I will pick another winner if the first winner doesn't respond within 24 hours. *retail value: $50.00* Thanks, and have fun!

Contest is now closed: Winner is Amanda!

Wordless Wednesday

"'Twas the night before Christmas"

'Twas the "Night Before Christmas" when all through the house...Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. Pa was soundly sleeping, and I was out shopping. My money was in my hand-made purse (made by tsunami survivors in Indonesia) byLaga Handbags, and I got in line first.
I took off my Fingerless kitty mitties that kept my hands warm. Oh my, look what I found from my honey~stuck to the inside of my mitt was a bundle of money!
The Coffee shop was busy with people getting their coffee. I love the smells it totally excites me! I got the exotic set from The Mad Roaster Coffee, now I must hurry home to make some toffee.
Pa is still sleeping and I need some light, so not to disturb him I put a match to the light. I love the candles that Pa got me from Peter G Candles, they smell so glorious and they're safe to use in my home, and fit on my mantle!
Time to relax from the hustle and bustle, I settle in for a nice warm bath with my basket of truffles."

Please vote for me at Fuel my Blog! The end date for this competition is: 15th December 2007! So, please vote now! :) Thanks in advance~

Walmart

A few days ago I picked up a few necessities from Walmart: diapers, toilet paper, napkins, dishwasher soap, etc. I forgot my coupons for the diapers. I buy Huggies, and those are not cheap diapers. My kids have allergies to the cheaper brands and I am not able to use the cloth diapers (even though I think that is a super way to go) if you don't have the poop phobia like I do if you can. Anyway, the next day I brought my coupons in to redeem them. I had 2- $1.50 off coupons. I was so excited to save $3.00! I was told awhile back, from Walmart, that if I had coupons I could redeem them up to 2 days after the purchase date. Needless to say, when I went in and asked about it, the lady told me that it has to be the date of purchase! That was a bit frustrating. What topped it all off though, was the other clerk said while trying to be cute politely, "But your hair is cute!" What does that have to do with me not getting my money back?? GRRRRR...

Santa Claus is coming to town~

A great day/night

We had a great day! We went to a train show this morning with the kids. It wasn't the best train show, but my husband loves the trains, and so it was fun to go. We got to venture through the snow. I love snow. I love lots of snow. I just don't like the cold and ice with it. I hope we get dumped on this year for snow. I wish we could get as much as we did when I was little. I remember making tunnels through the Pine trees in the front yard. We made 7 feet tall snowmen and still had tons of snow on the ground. My brothers used to make igloos...and I am talking BIG igloos! They even slept in them sometimes. My mom worried all night long for them, but they were really warm. I am not so sure that I would allow my kids to sleep outside in an igloo these days. Can I spider-web here? Well, I am a girl, so I guess that is what we do, right? Well, according to Love & Respect we do. I love that we can do that. Anyway, about what we did when we were little...I am sure we played with Lead paint toys....ate baby cereal before 4 months (in fact my mom gave it to me when I was just a few weeks old)...what else did we do, and it didn't kill us? Isn't it amazing at how many "rules" we have to do with raising our children these days? I love that song, "Back When". It is a Country song, and it is super! Here is the chorus: "Back when a hoe was a hoe Coke was a coke And crack's what you were doing When you were cracking jokes Back when a screw was a screw The wind was all that blew And when you said I'm down with that Well it meant you had the flu I miss back when I miss back when I miss back when" It just reminds me of life when it didn't seem so terrible and demented.

Ok, so are you wondering why I am all over the place? Well, I am tired, it is after midnight, and I just think I am being weird. I know my friend's are giggling and nodding their heads yeppers to this....

Anyway, this evening we had one of our favorite babysitters come watch the kids. She brought her little sister with. She is "training" her to be a babysitter, and basically showing her the ropes. Well, they brought over all the sugary candy supplies to make Gingerbread houses. The kids had so much fun! It was fun to see Nathaniel's creativity soar! He has such an imagination. He even put in a wreath holder. He had a candy cane holding the gummy wreath over the door, and the candy cane was a rafter on the top of the house. It was very cute. I will have to get some photos up to show you. When the kids were having fun, we had fun, too. Our church has a Christmas Dinner every December. We invite a performer to come with entertainment. People within the church pick tables and decorate them to their liking. Then, they can choose to invite people to come, and if you can afford it, pay for the tickets. It can be a bit pricey at $20 a plate, but it is so wonderful! We decided to do a table this year. We had a brick red table cloth, a train set (working), Village homes/people, candles, snow, square snowmen plates, and snowmen mugs. It was so much fun. There were so many fun and pretty decorative tables. My friends Lisa and Jody did 2 tables. Lisa and Jody went for the pretty/fancy/elegant, and their hubby's went for the manly and hunting theme. I really enjoyed their tables, too. It was a great night out with my husband, friends and family members. I wish our table would have been closer to Lisa and Jody's, though. I am just glad that my (fire fighter) husband didn't start anything on fire this year. Last year he set Lisa's cloth napkin on fire with the candles. It was sad that the napkin was a bit scorched, but kind of comical that he is a fire fighter...yet caught the napkin on fire. I guess a Pyromaniac at heart! :)

Well, time for this little lady to get to bed. It is way past my bedtime. So, goodnight...sleep tight!